Miami port transportation with a 2 and 5 yr old.

[msmith49203]

Looking at doing a December cruise with a 2.5 and 5.5 yr old. What is the best way to get from the airport to the port and back? Should we try to stay the night before and after at a hotel or arrive and leave the day of. I understand transportation would have to be a shuttle because of no booster/carseat. Suggestions?

[moki'smommy]

I ALWAYS vote for arriving a day early for safety reasons. If your flight is delayed or canceled, that extra day is cheap trip insurance. Even if you come in after work the day before, it is worth the peace of mind to be near the port and the relaxation on boarding day. No problem with leaving Miami the day the cruise gets in provided the flight schedule works for you.

 

Fly in the day of, and you have to be up at 4 am to get to the airport. By the time you board the ship you are exhausted and the kids are beyond any reality--tired, hungry, fussy, etc.

 

I can't speak to whether the taxis will have car seats. There are hotels that offer shuttles to the cruise terminal, either complimentary or with a small fee. First decide whether you wish to stay in the airport area or in the cruise terminal area. Find out whether the hotel you choose offers a shuttle and whether there is a fee for the shuttle. Then work out the details.

 

There is a flat fee for a taxi from the airport to the cruise terminal that includes everything except the tip--all tolls, surcharges, etc. are part of the flat fee dictated by the county. Any driver who tells you otherwise is trying to rip you off.